Yuca Hervida — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Tender boiled cassava served with a zesty garlic and lime mojo sauce. This foundational side dish provides the starchy base for countless Equatorial Guinean meals.

Ingredients

1kg cassava, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 2 limes
1 tsp salt
Fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Instructions

1 Peel the cassava and cut into chunks about eight centimeters long. Remove the fibrous core running through the center of each piece.
2 Place the cassava in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer for twenty to twenty-five minutes until fork-tender.
3 While the cassava cooks, prepare the mojo sauce. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan, add minced garlic, and cook gently for two minutes until fragrant but not browned.
4 Remove the garlic oil from heat and stir in lime juice, cumin, salt, and chopped cilantro. The sauce should be bright and punchy.
5 Drain the cooked cassava thoroughly and arrange on a serving plate. Pour the warm mojo sauce over the top and serve immediately.

Did You Know?

Cassava was brought to Africa from South America by Portuguese traders in the 16th century and became the most important staple food across Central Africa within just a few generations.